Brownsville Highway 49ers

Highway 49ers Stay Alive With Extra Inning Win Vs. Oakfield!

Raflik Hits, Witkowski

Pitches, And Apfelbeck Throws 49ers To Championship Game, Beat Oakfield 3-2 In 11

by Nubby Dornfeldt

I don’t even know where to start with the writing on this game. A game that if you were in attendance but didn’t get excited, in my opinion, you are clinically dead!

This game had everything: Lose and you go home, key hits and some of the most stellar defense put on by both teams that any baseball put on by both teams that any baseball fan has seen. And talk about drama - only Hollywood makes up a game like this. This would have made Steven Spielberg proud!

Oakfield rode into Brownsville on Sunday, Aug. 24, knowing that they beat the 49ers the week before 7-6 at Oakfield, giving Brownsville its first play-off loss. However, Kewaskum beat the Oaks 6-2 on Saturday, Aug. 23, for Oakfield’s first setback. All three teams left in the Division playoffs have one loss. One more and you’re gone. So the stage is set!

Brownsville opened the scoring in the bottom of the first. Singles by Dave Soda, J.J. Raflik, and E.J. Dornfeldt gave the 49ers their first run with Dornfeldt getting the RBI.

Oakfield answered in the fifth with a solo run. Mike Franke’s RBI single knotted the score at one. A walk to Scott Stettbacher put runners on first and second. Cory Immel’s infield single would have loaded the bases, but Franke tried to score.

E.J. Dornfeldt’s perfect throw to the plate nailed Franke for the third out.

Brownsville took the lead in the seventh. Dornfeldt reached first by getting hit by the pitch. Tyler Witkowski scored Dornfeldt by belting a long triple to center.

The Oaks tied the game at two in the eighth on Josh Wolter’s RBI double.

Brownsville could have taken the lead in the eighth, but a sensational catch by the Oak’s Kyle Fischer robbed Aaron Johnson of a sure home run. Oakfield had runners on first and second with one out in the ninth, but a fly out and ground out ended that threat.

The contest continued quietly along until the 11th inning.

Oakfield opened the frame with Andy Collien popping out and Kyle Fischer striking out. With two outs, Chad Fischer singled as did Mike Franke. Scott Stettbacher singled hard to right. Fischer tried to score, but an unbelievable throw from right fielder Tyson Apfelbeck to catcher Josh Klismith and Klismith’s great tag ended that threat. What a play!

In the bottom of the 11th, Klismith started by going down swinging. Cory Held singled to center. Soda followed up with a Texas Leaguer to right to put runners on first and second. Up stepped J.J. Raflik and promptly ended the game with a base hit to deep right center, scoring Held. Final score 3-2 in 11 innings.

If Apfelbeck hadn’t made that perfect throw to home, who knows, we might still be playing and maybe have the Supreme Court decide a winner!

“I’m really proud of our guys today,” said 49er Manager Tim Norton. “We hung in there when our backs were to the wall, but our defense pulled us through,” he said.

Tyler Witkowski got the win for Brownsville going all 11 innings. He gave up two runs on 16 hits! Witkowski walked two and struck out three and stranded 13 Oakfield runners. Chris Morgan took the loss after losing the game in Kewaskum the day before.

Witkowski, Soda, and Raflik led the 49ers with two hits apiece. Held, Dornfeldt, and Klismith each added a hit for Brownsville. Witkowski, Dornfeldt, and Raflik accounted for the three RBIs for the 49ers with Raflik’s being the death blow! Both teams went error free.

The 49ers would like to congratulate the Oakfield club for a great season, a talented team with great fans.

Brownsville will host Kewaskum on Saturday the 30th for a 1:30 p.m. contest. The winner will go on to play the Clyman Canners for the grand championship. Clyman is the defending Rock River League champ.

Hope to see a great crowd on Saturday, Aug. 30, in Brownsville for the playoff championship game. Looking for a fast week to go by, then “let’s play baseball.”

Schedule for next weekend.
Saturday Aug 30th
Kewaskum @ Brownsville 1:30

Winner goes to the Grand Championship vs Clyman